There are all manner of misconceptions and potentially harmful myths surrounding what women want, what men want, and about how best to navigate romantic relationships, from flirting to dating to long-term relationships. On this episode, I speak with special guest Harris O’Malley, aka Doctor NerdLove, to dive into these issues and set the record straight on the complications and nuances of love, sex, and dating in the 21st century.

We talk about toxic masculinity and how to break away from it, why many men today are afraid of forming emotional bonds with other men. We discuss the myths of the “friend zone” and “dating leagues” and positive ways to navigate the issue of attraction to someone you’re just friends with. What is the difference between harassment and flirting? How does one go about reading and recognizing signs of romantic interest on the part of others? What special challenges are posed by long-distance dating in the age of social media? Is there a distinct moment at which two people are officially in a romantic relationship, or can it be largely unspoken? These questions and more are covered in this illuminating discussion.

Harris O’Malley, aka Doctor NerdLove, is an internationally recognized blogger, YouTuber, and dating coach, author of New Game+: The Geek’s Guide to Love, Sex, & Dating and the newly released book I Got Her Number. Now What? A Geek’s Guide to Texting.

The opening clip is an excerpt from the audiobook “God is Not Great” by Christopher Hitchens, courtesy of Hachette Audio. Text Copyright 2007 by Christopher Hitchens. Audio production copyright 2007, Hachette Audio. Used with permission.

The opening and ending music is “Jade” by Esther Nicholson and is used under license. The editing was done by Rich Lyons of the “Living After Faith” podcast.

Hey everyone, Nathan Dickey here. On this episode, I’m bringing you a great interview I did with internationally recognized dating coach and author Harris O’Malley, aka Doctor NerdLove, in which we discuss and break down common modern myths and misconceptions about love, sex, and dating. But first I have a brief shout-out to give for two really cool people I know, named Yvette (some of you out there may also know her as the SciBabe) and Alice. They are starting a brand-new podcast that I’m really excited to start following, and which I think might be of interest to you as well. It’s called Two Girls, One Mic: The Porncast. It’s a unique idea and something that I think will fill a niche that’s been missing. I’ll let Yvette and Alice explain why in this promo clip they recorded:

So check out Two Girls, One Mic if you are so inclined. Because how awesome is it that two wickedly smart people are talking about both critical thinking and porn together. And now, on to the interview.